Belgian 'supercat' conquers the United States

Basiel, a cat from Leuven (Flemish Brabant), is becoming a celebrity in the United States. A picture showing the cat resting on a skylight, has reached hundreds of thousands of Americans. Basiel is not enjoying any celebrity status in Belgium yet, although that may change.

Frederik Defossez, Michaël Torfs

Sat 14 Feb 2015 10:26

Basiel was having a rest on a skylight in a Leuven house a couple of days ago, taking advantage of the first sunny day after a long winter. The cat didn't know it was actually creating a perfect picture. Steph Mouton, a friend of the lady that occupies the house, liked the view so much that she took a picture.

"A cat resting on a roof window is not something you see every day. This is why I took a photograph and posted it on Facebook, something I do more often", explains 28-year-old Steph.

And then it happened

It seemed the end of the story, until Steph's brother posted it on Reddit. "What happened next is really special."

The picture drew the attention of the Huffington Post and Ellen DeGeneres. The latter shared it on her Instagram and Facebook account which triggered hundreds of thousands of likes in no time. "This cat either has superpowers, or it's sitting on a skylight", the Instagram post said.

"Cool! I never expected this to happen", Steph (photo) told the VRT. "I keep receiving messages on my smartphone." A picture that is doing so well, could maybe earn the photographer an extra penny? "I think it's too late for this. And I'm afraid the new Facebook regulations have made this impossible, because all pictures are public."

Steph hasn't had any direct contact with Ellen DeGeneres or any American media so far. "I did send an e-mail to Ellen's news room, we'll see what happens", Steph explains. So forget 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'. It's 'Cat on a Sunny Skylight' from now on.